The Divine Wings
by Fruition
Summary: A story from their beginning to their end. When Anna escapes the Asgard Human Ranch, she runs into a handsome stranger. Their meeting seemed to be fate and would lead into a tender and heartrending romance that could only end in tragedy. [AnnaxKratos]
1. Chapter 1: Escape

**_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Tales of Symphonia characters, places, etc. Every bit of it belongs to Namco, bless their Lloyd-creating souls._**

**Panda: Hello everyone and welcome to my very first fanfiction. Actually, that's sort of a lie. I've written fanfiction before but have never actually published it to a site where _other_ people could read it, so I'm a little nervous. Nonetheless, I do hope you'll enjoy (-cough-and review-cough-) my little piece. I'm not sure how often I'll be updating. Probably more often the more it's liked so let that be an incentive for you to review if you want to read more. And I promise you that it'll get better than this first chapter once it gets going. So yes, enjoy. **

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**Chapter One: Escape**

Her eyes glazed over as the man shoved her against a wall. _No emotion; give them nothing._ The Desian smirked cruelly, brandishing his whip with a merciless glint in his eye. Anna stared back at him with apathetic defiance, refusing to show him the fear he so desperately wished to get from her. The woman knew he would be completely harsh with her; she was just another human, after all, a pathetic piece of filth; a vermin that they needed to exterminate. She was a host body and that was all. But it didn't matter either way. More than likely, Anna would suffer the same fate as the rest of the humans in the Asgard Human Ranch: she would have an Exsphere attached to her and she would eventually be taken over by it for the sake of cultivating the mysterious gems.

"Host body #04—oh damn, what's your host body number?" The Desian turned and barked out orders for his sword-carrying followers to go and search out Anna's number as he seemed to have forgotten himself. "No matter… You're called Anna, correct, by the other human filth?" She didn't bother to respond. The Desian grinned. "You have been specifically chosen by Grand Desian Cardinal Lord Kvar to be one of the host bodies to cultivate the Angelus Project for as far as we are aware, you are one of the most compatible." The man approached her, carrying in his hand a shining jewel that temporarily caught Anna's eye. Smiling a smile that made the female entirely uncomfortable, the Desian grabbed her at her hand.

Startled, Anna moved to push him away, but the Desian twisted her arm until she—though unwillingly—complied. Inwardly admitting defeat to this obviously stronger half-elf, Anna crumbled against the wall as the Desian pushed up against her, chuckling softly, menacingly. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear: "Resistance will not go unpunished." Again drawing away, the Desian shoved the gem into Anna's skin; she hissed lightly, forgetting for a moment to deny the cruel male her emotions. The Exsphere was set in her hand, just below her knuckles. Anna could already feel its power—was that power, that deliciously strange feeling?—soaring through her veins. The brief thought of attempting to flee flew through the woman's mind but a quick glance to the left smothered all hope. The gates were closed and locked.

"Egran, Reuben, take this female host body back to her cell. Do not treat her differently just because she is a host for the Angelus Project. Just keep her alive; that is all." Giving Anna a last inhumane smile, the Desian strolled from the vicinity and entered the Ranch.

Anna inhaled deeply, enjoying the first feel of fresh air she had gotten for months; relishing in the feel of the grass beneath her scantily clad feet. It was nice to be outside. But such reveling was short lived for the two Desian under hands ran towards her, ushering her towards the entrance of the Ranch; a door to the east of where she was standing. They were taking her back to her cell: home sweet home. The two half-elves walked on either side of Anna, strutting and flourishing their cross-bows as if they owned the place. Their ignorance was sickening and the female was utterly repulsed. In order to keep herself in line (to keep herself from attempting a futile escape from this hell hole) Anna took in every little feature of the building: its cool, smooth floors, the intricate designs engraved onto the wall, the harsh and cold way the Ranch seemed to hold itself. It would almost be a beautiful place if it weren't so hostile.

Before Anna had even a moment to enjoy her fleeting freedom, she was escorted back into her cell; the small prison she shared with three others, all apparently also hosts for the Angelus Project—whatever that was. The two Desians that had taken her back shoved her roughly into the small confinement, taking extra care to lock the prison cell. Anna watched them with detached interest as they parted ways to stand guard at either side of the quarantine. The Ranch _obviously_ couldn't stand to have anyone escaping with their precious Exspheres, now could they? With a resigned sigh, Anna took a seat in the corner, tearing her eyes from the Desians to study her new room-mates.

There wasn't much difference between any of them; they ranged in ages, obviously, and their appearances, but all three of them held the same air of defeat. Their eyes didn't sparkle with the hope of being rescued any longer; they had given up all faith. Anna could feel the same sense of despair beginning to creep into her mind as well. That thought in itself was depressing. But it was only the truth, as much as the female hated to admit it. Chances of being rescued were slim, of escaping with her life even slimmer. What was there to do but wait to either be killed by the hands of those cruel, savage half-elves or be devoured by the parasite that was attached to her hand?

At the remembrance of having had become host to an Exsphere, Anna glanced down to her hand, examining it carefully. The jewel was embedded in her skin, giving off a strange glow. With slight revulsion, Anna noted that with every pump of heart, the gleam grew brighter before becoming a little darker again until her next heart beat. She couldn't help but feel as if it were feeding off of her life. Well, that was a rather moronic thought. It _was_ thriving from her; it would take Anna's life in order for this gem to become usable. It took the death of several lives in order to lend strength to this disgusting organization. It was a ghastly thought.

Leaning her head against the rampart behind her, her amber eyes gazed listlessly at the ceiling until her lids became too heavy for her to bear. Blinking a few times, Anna finally let herself rest—and even though it was a fitful rest, one filled with nightmares of better days, it was a sleep desperately needed.

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She couldn't tell if she had slept for mere minutes, or for hours, or even for days. All she recognized, in her groggy, sleepy state was that there was a lot of racket going on. A siren was howling, a red light flashing in warning, and the incessant murmur of the other captives' voices. It didn't register in her thoughts that something out of the norm was going on; all she knew was that she needed more sleep. Her body was crying out for more rest. Brushing light brown tendrils of hair from her eyes, Anna tipped her head back as if to sleep again, only to feel a hand rest upon her shoulder and gentle shake her.

"Anna," the voice called, hurried and insisting. "Anna, wake up. The Ranch is being infiltrated. The idiot Desians guarding this place left the card key near one of the prisoner cells and some kid is releasing all of us. Come on, Anna, this may be our only chance to escape. …Anna!"

She grumbled a few times, trying to get out a coherent 'I'm awake' but failing miserably. Once more opening her eyes, Anna was welcomed by the sight of Mitchell, a man who had been in the same cell as she months ago. The two had become close friends and had thus been separated once it was noted by the Desians. Anna had obviously slept longer and deeper than she had previously though.

Opening her mouth to say something to her friend, Anna was interrupted by the distinct _swoosh_ of the cell door opening. Mitchell, smiling warmly, grabbed Anna's hand and helped her to her feet. And together, they followed the rushed humans looking urgently for an exit to the ranch. Hope fluttered through Anna's chest.

_Could it be that they would—after all these harsh, long months— finally find true freedom?_


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting

**_Disclaimer: Namco owns all of the characters, places, and et cetera from Tales of Symphonia. I do not. Sadly enough. But yes, so I don't claim any of the characters or places as my own and whatnot._**

**Panda: So, just a little note. My pen name has been changed from Pandora's Envy to Honey and Grime. This is more for a personal reason than anything, so please just bear with me. And, so, yay! Chapter two finally here after... what? Four months+? Thank you to everyone who will still read this chapter! -bow bow- But, good news: I am planning on having a new chapter up at least once a week from now on. So, stick with me, and we'll get this story on a roll. : )**

There were so many people rushing by; in Anna's half-awake state, it was hard to tell what exactly was happening. Yes, they had escaped the prisoner's cell area and were now dashing through halls, attempting desperately to find an exit. An uproar was taking place; people were fleeing in groups, using pipelines to fend off the few Desians unlucky enough to have been assigned to round up the stampeding cattle. Mothers were crying for lost children—hoping to again find them alive; children were crying for their lost mothers, hoping for the same. Stronger men were fighting off the Desian underlings, calling out for all those standing around, looking for a loved one to forget it and meet up outside. _"Get out!"_

Mitchell and Anna were making their way through the crowds, Mitch leading Anna by the hand along the walls, avoiding the guards and the fights. Occasionally, Mitchell would look back over his shoulder at Anna and cast her a reassuring smile. She could see the promise in his eyes: he wouldn't let her stay in this hell any more. Anna would get out alive, with or without him. Tears welled in Anna's eyes, but she ignored them and instead gave her companion's hand a grateful squeeze. Anna made herself a promise that she would do everything she could in order to make sure both she and Mitchell got out—perhaps after this horrific event, they would be able to live happily, together. After all, didn't everyone deserve a happy ending?

Shaking her head, Anna concentrated on following Mitch diligently, putting the chaos and 'what if' questions out of mind—this was no place for the weak of wit. Putting all trust in Mitchell, Anna continued after him, keeping pace as well as she could. They turned into an empty hall, and they slowed. Mitch was panting lightly and Anna realized that she was a bit of breath as well.

"We're almost out of here, Anna," Mitchell hummed, a laugh threatening. Anna smiled, thinking they all had forgotten what hope felt like. She looked around questioningly, a yawn escaping her lips as she did so. They were in a small room, the walls ornately decorated, and the carpet plush and soft beneath their feet. A large desk was off a ways in the corner of the room and the entire roomed reeked of high class. Anna wrinkled her nose a little; she believed she would have a permanent distaste for all things like this—it was all much too showy and fancy. Pompous. As she looked about, she searched for a door that would lead outside. _"Just how are we getting out of here through this room?"_

Turning to Mitch to voice her question, he seemed to read her mind. Smiling down at her, he released her hand and walked over to the desk. Heaving his weight against it, it moved from against the wall to reveal an air circulation shaft, which meant that…With an enthusiastic squeal, Anna leapt towards Mitchell, wrapping her arms around his neck, laughing. He returned her hug happily, laughing himself. They were going to get out and they wouldn't have to risk going through the main gate.

"Mitchell! You're a genius! But how did you know this was here?" Anna's voice was clear and happy, filled with some sort of optimism lingering on all of the syllables in her words. She laughed again, just for the sake of the hopefulness that ran through her veins as she did so; the woman glanced down to her hand and even the Exsphere seemed to echo her feelings—it was gleaming a bright, sky blue. While it caused Anna's happiness to pause, she soon put it from her mind when Mitchell began to speak.

"I tried to escape from this ranch once before, and I heard the Desians saying: 'Don't let him get to the air ventilation! It leads to the outside!' So, naturally, I bee-lined for the room that they had been stupid enough to mention, and went through the shaft. I nearly got outside, but there were two Desians waiting there for me. I tried going back, but was caught. Anna," he laughed, shaking his head, "we can talk more once we're far from this place."

Strong hands grabbed at the vent's cover and pried it off. Smiling, Mitch held out his hand for Anna's. She took it and he assisted her in crawling through. He heaved himself up after her and she heard his small command to begin going. The ventilation shaft was dirty and grimy—rats' and cockroaches' skeletons rest everywhere and there was a small, musty breeze constantly blowing. It was disgusting and Anna wanted to stop but she knew she mustn't. This was a sure way of getting out and that was the thought that kept Anna crawling through the filth. Minutes passed into half an hour, and half an hour into an hour. Anna's pale hands were covered in dirt and spider legs and her limbs were sore. She was about to ask Mitchell if they could stop for a few minutes and take a break when the shaft came to a turn and a light could be seen in the near distance.

Adrenaline rushing through her body, Anna crawled faster, an emancipated smile adorning her pretty face. Mitchell laughed behind her, urging her to creep even quicker. Soon enough, the exit was right in front of her. Thrusting herself against the cover, Anna tumbled out into fresh, green grass; Mitchell pulled himself out after her. They looked at each other's faces and clothes—all covered in dirt and grime—and laughed. Mitchell pulled Anna towards him and wiped her face gently, his eyes never leaving hers. Anna felt her face heat up in a fiery blush and the ridiculous grin on her face faded into a loving smile. Mitchell leaned forward and placed a small kiss on her lips; his mouth was warm against hers and Anna felt sincerely happy just sitting there with him. But, much to her disappointment, her friend pushed away, leaving Anna to wonder whether the kiss had been imagined.

But due to the bashful pink painted on Mitchell's cheeks, Anna figured it had happened. She giggled girlishly, standing up, inhaling deeply. _So this is what the air of freedom tastes of…_

"C'mon, Anna," Mitchell urged, beckoning her forth with a sheepish smile, "we're not free yet. We have to keep moving."

Wiping her palm against her cheek to get rid of the last of the dirt, Anna nodded in agreement, trotting faithfully after her companion. They made their way through forest, being careful to avoid to step on twigs or dead leaves. It was unnaturally quiet and that made Anna worry. She kept looking over her shoulder, wondering where the cries of the others had gone to, where the protests of the Desians were. They weren't _that_ far from the ranch, they should've been able to still hear everything. _So…why is it so quiet? _

Again turning back, Anna scanned the trees. Evening was falling and it was getting dark. No birds or crickets chirped, there was no hustle of small animals. The only sounds made were the quiet patter of hers and Mitchell's careful footsteps against the forest floor. Heaving a sigh and trying to calm her nerves, Anna looked forward. Mitchell must have noticed the silence too; there was a worried scowl on his face. Anna reached forward for his hand—

And a hand from behind a nearby tree snatched hers. Anna nearly screamed from surprise, but the owner of the hand soon claimed Anna's mouth with the other. Her tiny body was snatched from the path without even a sound. She struggled against the man—his masculine form and strength made her assume it was a man—but to no avail; he had her pinned against a tree.

Trying to scream past the hand of the man, he leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "Be quiet or they'll hear you." His voice was comforting but cold, self-assured and distant. Anna brought her eyes up to look at his face and stopped thrashing. His hair was a shocking red, neatly messed. Gentle but isolated brown eyes stood out against pale skin on a handsome face. Inhaling, Anna nodded brusquely before her attentions were distracted.

Mitchell screamed. It was without a doubt his voice and Anna moved slightly so she could see past the man's body. Her own brown eyes widened and her heart beat faster. Four Desians were surrounding Mitchell, two holding his form and the other two brandishing swords and whips. He was screaming her name—whether in warning or in an attempt for her help, Anna was unsure. But either way, she resumed her sorry attempt at escape from her captor. He, however, simply pressed his body and hand harder against her, urging her to be silent. Tears slid from her eyes, as the guards demanded Mitch tell them where host body #A012—human name: Anna—was. He was crying himself, shaking his head. The whip made a sickening sound as it hit skin. And yet, he couldn't tell the Desians where Anna was—he himself didn't know. So she watched as her friend was run through on the Desian's sword and his bloody body fell to the ground.

The tears fell faster and the man just stood there, obnoxiously pressed against her, probably waiting for the Desians to leave. After the Desians whispered commands, orders for searching Anna out, and departed, Anna and the man stood there in silence as the sound of footsteps faded further and further into the distance and stillness of evening. He watched devotedly, making sure it was safe before letting her go. Without his support, Anna fell to the ground, her eyes still glued on Mitchell's body. Her sobs raked her body and she shook relentlessly.

"Get up, we have to get out of here," her rescuer demanded. Anna inhaled a shaky breath and attempted to stand before again falling to her knees. Mitchell was gone… He was dead. What right did she have to survive when he didn't? With a sigh, the man reached down and picked her up. He walked with her in his arms in silence as she cried and soon they were leaving the forest and leaving Mitchell's body far behind. As soon as Anna could see the moon as the trees thinned, she looked again to the face of the man.

"What's your name?" she asked hurriedly, voice unreliable and thick with the threat of more tears.

He paused and didn't answer right away. When his answer did come, it was quiet and nearly inaudible. Anna had to lean closer to hear…

"My name is Kratos."


	3. Chapter 3: Practice

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia characters, places, etc., though that goes without saying. **

**I'm not sure if I have to put a disclaimer up for each chapter, so I'll do it just in case.  
Well, after a couple weeks, here's Chapter three. I hope you enjoy it, though, in my opinion, it is a bit slow-going. That should change soon, so yes. Thank you for all the reviews so far, by the by**.

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_Kratos. _

She repeated the name in her head over and over again devoting it to memory, until the name seemed to beat with her heart. She half-expected him to ask for her name in return, but they continued walking in silence. No longer crying, Anna looked up to his face, illuminated by the moonlight. He showed no strain at all, even though he was also lugging around a heavy sword, and she was not overly light. He glanced down to her and she averted her eyes, face flushing a little. This man was hard not to look at, though he had a forbidden air about him, as if it were a sin in itself to simply gaze at him, let alone be touched by him. Anna opened her mouth to suggest he let her walk on her own now that the tears had stopped—he had been carrying her for more than half an hour—but he interrupted her by gently setting her down on a supple patch of grass beneath two large trees.

"We'll make camp here for now. The sun will rise soon, and we'll want to travel to Luin by nightfall as to not be seen, so…" He paused then finished lamely, "So we'll sleep here tonight." Kratos pulled a large dagger from his belt and tossed it in Anna's direction; it landed a little to her left and she stared at it dumbly. Then a small grin touched her lips. It had been a long time since she'd handled a sword.

"You know how to use a weapon, then?" Kratos said, his voice reflecting slight amusement as he caught the look on her face. Anna nodded in response, picking up the dagger and looking at it with a silly smile. "Well then," Kratos began, smirking himself; Anna glanced up—she laughed a little; he had an attractive smile—"We should have a little sword practice."

He tossed aside his cloak—leaving him in only a white shirt and purple pants—and removed his sword hilt and withdrew another large dagger from his boot. So at least they were on an even playing ground, even though Anna had very little recollection of how to use a sword and Kratos was obviously very experienced. _Oh well. _Anna smirked, grabbing the dagger and struggling to her feet. She held the weapon up and Kratos followed suit. They began to circle each other.

He made the first jab; a light quick one that Anna easily dodged. By the cocky smirk on his face, she knew that he was simply fooling around with her—going easy on the novice. Taking a step forward, Kratos parried and thrust his weapon at her, but Anna instinctively eluded his onslaught of attacks with a swiftness she didn't know she had. Her hand holding the sword—the one with the Exsphere attached—thrust forward without her command and speared at Kratos in turn. A brief look of surprise took over his features before he regained his calm composure. Of course, her onslaught of attacks barely touched him; Kratos was quick on his feet. He turned quickly, avoiding another stab from Anna, and thrust his own sword at her. This time her reflexes weren't quick enough and her weapon was flung from her hands. Kratos had his machete at Anna's throat; it was the end of their play battle.

Both he and she were panting, their chests heaving. Anna's eyes met Kratos's; he looked vaguely pleased as he set down his dagger. He mumbled something about Anna not being as horrible at sword-play as he had thought. Anna watched as he seated himself and then stared blankly at a nearby tree. She had the strange sensation of floating in her own skin, as if she were observing herself standing there. Then the burning began.

It was small and comfortable at first, like putting too-cold hands next to tendrils of flame. But it soon progressed into a sweltering, turbulent pain. She groaned, clutching her hand to her chest. Hissing through her teeth, Anna looked down at the Exsphere. It had—just a day or two prior—been a bright, calm blue but it was gleaming a vibrant red now. There were flashes of orange occasionally bursting at the surface, but for the most part, the red just swirled in the gem in varying colors. It was like Anna's entire hand was on fire and she fell to her knees, tears brimming in her eyes.

Kratos was at her side, pulling her hand from her own tight grip. He inspected the Exsphere; through her tears, Anna saw a perplexed look on Kratos's face. Minutes passed as they sat like that, Kratos inspecting her Exsphere, and Anna whimpering lightly, though she tried to suppress the pain. Finally, the scorching sensation began to dull before it stopped completely. Kratos dropped Anna's hand and looked at her.

"You're part of the Angelus Project?" he asked quietly, eyes narrowing slightly.

Anna looked down to her hand. The Exsphere had stopped shining and burning but remained a blood red hue. _The Angelus Project..._ It sounded all too familiar; had the Desians said something about that as they had implanted the jewel onto her hand? With a sigh, she half-shrugged in response.

"That _is_ a Cruxis Crystal being cultivated on your hand, there isn't any doubt about that." Kratos heaved a sigh as well. "So, that would mean that you are a part of Lord Kvar's project for Yggdrasil."

"Yggdrasil?" Anna inquired, rubbing her hand free of the remaining tingling sensation.

Kratos simply shook his head and motioned for Anna to get up as he stood. They walked back to their patch of grass together. She sat next to one tree, he to the other. It was well after noon, but Anna felt completely drained. Yawning, she laid herself down on the grass, closing her eyes. Her mind drifted from subject to subject. Mitchell's face was always somewhere in the backdrop of her thoughts and guilt flooded her stomach. They had been such good friends; and they could have had a good life together. No, Anna didn't believe that they had loved each other, but they could have, given time. But time stopped for Mitch.

Sleep was close. Anna was drifting in and out of consciousness when Kratos's voice interrupted her repose.

"You never gave me your name," he said in a strained voice; Anna could tell that he wasn't used to conversation with strangers.

"You never asked," she replied with a small, teasing smile. Anna was clandestinely pleased when his cheeks became shaded a faint pink and he turned his head so as to not let her see.

With a quiet and overly-dramatic sigh, Kratos shrugged bashfully. "What's your name?" His words all seemed to run into each other and Anna would have had trouble understanding him if she hadn't known what he was going to ask.

"Took you long enough," she taunted playfully. Anna closed her eyes again, just to make Kratos wonder whether she would tell him or not. Cracking one eye open, she saw him looking slightly exasperated. Finally, she simply stated, "I'm Anna." He nodded and she rested until sleep overcame her.

Her slumber was mostly dreamless with the exception of Kratos's light breathing and Mitchell's face interrupting her sleep once in awhile. She was awoken by the sound of Kratos calling her name, lightly and awkwardly. Sitting up, the first thing she noticed was that night had fallen yet again, then that Kratos was hovering over her.

"We should start walking again," he said, turning and beginning to stroll away but stopping once he realized she wasn't even standing yet.

Anna got up and stretched. Her body was tense and her muscles were tight; she wasn't sure if it was because of the Exsphere—or was it a Cruxis Crystal?—or because of practicing with a sword after so many years. Either way, she realized that there wasn't much choice of whether to sleep or not. She was used to being forced awake to work in the human ranch for so long that walking after Kratos seemed like just another routine. She caught up with him then followed as he began walking again. It was only minutes before they reached the end of the forest.

"We should be in Luin before nightfall if we hurry," he said, glancing over his shoulder at her. She nodded, yawning.

The scenery was all the same; long expanses of grassland with the occasional wolf or bear far on the horizon. Trees dotted the landscape and there was a faint line of road a little ways off. There were also lights further in the distance, which Anna could only assume were the nightlights of Luin.

"What are we going to do once we're in Luin?" she asked, glancing up to him.

"You'll have a place to stay. You can locate family or friends and find a home to live in." His answer was brief and it made Anna curious.

"What will you do?"

"I'll probably leave." His pace of walking quickened and Anna scurried after him.

The thought of him just leaving her there was slightly frightening; it felt so safe to have him with her, like a path in the forest. Anna had been in the ranch for more than two years. Her mother and father were dead; her brother had been killed by the Desians. She wasn't sure if any of her friends had survived the raid; Mitchell had been her only real friend from the ranch and he was dead. Kratos, as new as he was to her, was the only familiarity that she had.

She shook her head. She'd have to survive. It would be silly to think that Kratos would stay with her; what was she but a stranger to him.

"Why did you rescue me?" The question had escaped her mouth, seeming to form from her thoughts without her permission. It had been haunting her constantly since Kratos had grabbed her from the path. "I mean, why did you save me and leave so many countless others to die?"

He was silent. They kept on walking and Anna finally sighed into the silence, keeping her eyes focused on Luin. Each step they took brought them one closer to plausible safety and to Kratos's likely departure. Anna was thoroughly convinced that Kratos wouldn't answer her questions which made her all the more curious.

"Because," he said minutes later—so many that it took Anna a moment to remember that she had asked him a question—"Because most of the others had been either killed or caught and your friend was too far ahead of the path. I saw the soldiers and I grabbed you—because you were the closest person to me. Is that not reason enough? To desire to save even one life out of a million?"

"I-I wasn't complaining," Anna responded quietly, feeling slightly chided by his tone of indifference. "I just wanted to know."

"Well now you do."

She nodded her agreement and let the conversation dropped. _So it isn't because he knows me from somewhere or anything… He just saved me because I was there. If Mitchell had been walking behind me, he would have been saved and I would have been killed. …_

"And…" Kratos stopped for a second, looking back to Anna for the first time since they had started walking that night. His eyes drifted and locked onto the Exsphere—Cruxis Crystal, it turned out—and paused. "I also heard that the woman who was being used in the Angelus Project had escaped. And since you and that man were the only ones who had actually managed to get out of the ranch, I figured it was you. So I saved your life for my own benefit as well."

"For your own benefit…?" Anna was slightly confused; she had no idea as to what he was talking about and it was irritating her a little. She watched him resume walking and she followed him. He simply nodded and yet again their conversation dropped.

Step after step. Luin seemed to be getting no closer and no farther away. But Anna knew that they had to be getting nearer; they had been walking for a seemingly endless amount of time. There was a small throbbing pain all through Anna's calves and thighs; she had been walking for much longer than she had been able to for a very long time. It was nice though: the air wasn't cluttered or heavy and stifled, the grass beneath her scantily clad feet was supple and pleasant, and she could look up to the sky and see the endless sky dotted with stars, as well as the two moons instead of the hostile ceiling of the ranch.

"We can stop for the night." Kratos's voice interrupted her thoughts and she nearly ran into him as he came to an abrupt stop. "There will enough time tomorrow evening to walk the rest of the way. We're only about an hour away," he said just as Anna was about to open her mouth to ask how far they were from the city. She smiled in response, flopping to the ground and rubbing her feet lightly.

She noticed him watching her; she was curious as to what he was thinking. His eyes were so deep and there seemed to be emotion boiling just beneath the surface, hidden by an impassable barrier. It made her want to break down that barrier and make him look at her with the passion that she was sure was there in him. He looked to only be about twenty-two or so, but his eyes were so much older. Finally, Kratos shook his head, causing red tendrils of hair to stray into his face and he turned from her.

"I'm going to go get wood for a fire. Just rest here," he commanded. He turned and—as an afterthought—tossed her the machete she had used the previous night.

Anna picked it up from the grass, holding it awkwardly. The light of the Cruxis Crystal brightened, sending adrenaline rushing through her body. She tried to suppress it, so very hard. It was a sort of anger and fury all wanting to explode from her at once. Anna felt tears stinging her eyes and she screamed inwardly at her weak femininity. She clutched the dagger tighter and collapsed to the ground, allowing herself a well-deserved sleep.


	4. Chapter 4: Home

I, obviously, do not own nor did I create any characters, places, etc. from Tales of Symphonia.

**And so I finally located the long-lost chapter four of this fanfiction. It's been quite a while and I'm not sure if continuing it would be the best of goals, though I'd like to say I'll try. Though it may not be very consistent as my writing style has changed a tad, as they tend to do.**

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The glaring light of day pressed against her eyelids. Anna fought it as best as she could; if she wouldn't be able to sleep at night, she would sleep as much as she could during the day. Semi-consciousness would not, however, fade into a restful slumber but instead kept irritating the young woman. Something deep inside her felt amiss but Anna would not allow it to force her to open her eyes for she was still so exhausted. But sleep would not claim her; she instead tossed and turned, feeling the heat of the sun against her back, the touch of the malleable grass like a pillow beneath her tattered clothing. The smell of smoke was faint but still somewhat stifling; a thought formed in the back of her mind.

_Kratos must have made a fire…_

Drowsy thoughts of the man floated around inside her skull. He was very handsome, that much was sure; he was taller than her with a lithe, muscular build; shocking red hair fell into brown eyes; he had an attractive face. But his mannerisms were so cold sometimes and he was difficult to talk to; it was as if he were holding back everything. _Perhaps he escaped from a ranch as well. _The concept seemed very possible; he carried himself like a man with a troubled past, but that could just be how he always was. But then again, his eyes reflected the same knowledge of cruelty that Anna's held, she was sure of that. It could have been something recent, though, instead of him having been a subject as well. Anna made a mental note to check and see if Kratos had an Exsphere without a Key Crest the next time she saw him before again falling into a fitful sleep.

The call of a night critter echoed through the breezy chill of the evening. It reached the ears of a young woman resting near the dying embers of a fire that had been built half a day earlier. Anna's brown eyes snapped open and she instinctively grabbed the machete resting just to her left. The cry soon quieted and Anna recognized the sound as having been far away; just carried on the wind, probably distorting the song of an owl or some other nocturnal bird. Anna brushed aside a piece of clothing that she had apparently been using as a blanket to rub her tired eyes. Yawning, she looked across the charred wood, expecting to see Kratos's back, probably still falling and rising in sleep.

But he wasn't there. Her heart gave a leap and her stomach seemed to take up home in her throat. Kratos wasn't there. Grabbing a handful of the cloth still covering her legs, Anna identified the blanket to actually be Kratos's cloak, a dark wine hue that lightened at the end. Narrowing her eyes, Anna scanned the plain around her as best as she could to see if she could make out Kratos's form but there was nothing besides a few scarce bushes and trees. So he had left her to carry on the rest of the way by herself. If that was the way he wanted it, she decided angrily as she stood, then so be it.

Anna started storming away, leaving his cloak behind her near the fire, fully intent upon letting it rot there. What if monsters came for her and, in her inexperience, she was killed? What if the Desians came after her? She had had some sort of idea that Kratos might see her all the way to Luin, to make sure the _one person_ that he had been so intent upon saving had actually been safe. _What a stupid female you are, Anna, _she chided herself, scowling. Luin wasn't far off and it was unlikely that she would come across anything harmful. Anna knew somewhere in the back of her mind, though, that she just felt somewhat abandoned and betrayed. She didn't want to be alone.

With a sigh, she turned abruptly on her heel and strode quickly back to the fire to grab Kratos's cloak and don it upon her own shoulders. There was no sense in freezing to death on the way home. A deep inhale; a soft exhale. Anna looked towards Luin and saw her brother's face, saw her old friends' smiles, saw the picturesque place she had lived in for eighteen years. One step, another step and she was well on her way. She didn't need Kratos for she truly believed that she could save herself.

It felt like an eternity, walking in the cold with no one to speak with—or rather, speak at. But the determination of making it to Luin before sunrise seemed all too important to Anna. She wanted to prove to Kratos and herself that she could be her own hero. She wanted to believe that she could have made it out of the Asgard ranch had Kratos not been there to save her. She wanted to trust that she could fight off any monsters she might come across. There was no need for Kratos.

"I'm glad he's gone, in fact," Anna stated out loud, just for the sake of hearing something besides the wind whistling in her ears. Shivering, the female looked down to her feet, allowing her mind to wander as she devotedly followed the worn road to her old hometown. What if the Desians came back to Luin to search for her? Undoubtedly, they would come for her, she carried a—what had Kratos called it? Anna looked down to her hand, the red glow looking unsettlingly much like blood bubbling beneath the glassy surface.

The lights of Luin steadily grew closer and closer and Anna's pace picked up as she walked, the filthy road coating her clothed feet in even more grime. A luminous smile touched her features, shedding light upon a face that had seen too much darkness. There she could see the guards, sitting over a table that was set alight by a lantern, playing a game. They expected nothing to happen and it was obvious by the imprudent happiness on their faces. Young recruits? Perhaps, she pondered, her breath already coming in pants. Soon they would hear her feet—there, she noticed with a satisfied smile, their heads turned towards her in slight alarm, hands upon the hilts of their swords. The elder of the duo relaxed as she grew steadily closer. He recognized her and she knew as much; it made her feel as if she were someone again: the happy female that she had been growing up in the water-side town.

"Anna!" The call of her name was welcomed warmly, and she couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips or the tears that stung her eyes. It was one of those boys whom she had grown up with—she and Timothy had played with him around the forests. The memory of her brother wasn't wanted, though; she allowed her brother's face to fade away again as she approached the two grinning guards, ever aware of the smell of disgusting spilling from her every pore.

"I'm home," was all that she could say after two years of being away, locked inside a human ranch, cultivating the half-elves' experiments. The tears that had threatened her composure finally spilled, though she had not bid them come. They were fresh and hot, leaving streaks where they cleared dirty from her filth-covered visage. "I'm home."


End file.
